Want to improve
vocabulary skills?
Focus on reading!
Many kids struggle with vocabulary. Think about it, they are
just starting to learn to read and there are questions about definitions,
unique spellings, and pronunciations to learn. For kids and parents alike, it
can feel overwhelming. What is the best way to improve your child’s vocabulary?
Focus on reading!
Research indicates that children with larger vocabularies
have higher achievement when they reach high school age, as well as higher reading
achievement. The key is to start reading with your children at a young age and
it will develop into a life-long habit. As their reading skills improve, so
will their vocabulary skills.
There are many ways to get your kids enthusiastic about
reading. Take them to the library or
bookstore and ask them to help pick out books. What interests them? Dinosaurs?
Nature? Animals? Look for books with topics that they will find fun.
Remember
the acronym P.I.C.K.
P is for Purpose.
-
Is this reading for pleasure? Trying to learn
something? Talk to your kids about why they are reading or want to read a
particular book.
I is for
Interest.
-
If your child likes trains, don’t just think
about Thomas the Tank Engine if they are young; think about steam engines or
how trains helped build the country. This is where you can start to look at
chapter titles or reading the book jacket.
C is for
Comprehend.
-
Can your child understand what the book is
about? Is the way in which the subject matter is presented makes sense to your
child? Is the subject matter simply at a higher level than your child can
understand? If you aren't sure, while at the library or bookstore, read a few
pages with your child and see if they understand what was just read to them or
that they can explain the subject. Kids will easily become turned off if they
feel frustrated when trying to understand the subject matter or story.
K is for Know the
Words.
-
Kids should be able to understand the majority
of the words on the page. Then you and your child can focus on learning the
other words that are new, thus improving their vocabulary. Remember the “five
finger rule.” If there are zero or one unknown words per page, the book is too
easy. If there are two or three unknown words per page, the book is a good
level. If the book has four or five words that are unknown, the book is too
difficult. Think about using Zaner-Bloser’s
Word Wisdom program when considering the level of a book or the number of unknown words on a page. When reading with your
child, keep a good dictionary on hand and make looking up those new words part
of the reading process. My First
Dictionary is a good choice for children ages five and up. The Merriam-Webster
Children’s Dictionary is perfect for ages seven to 12.
So once you have a plan for selecting the right books for
your child and are armed with a good dictionary and word-building plan, the
next step is picking classroom-style products. There are many programs to help
supplement your child’s reading and vocabulary skills while homeschooling.
Programs like Read for Real
from Zaner-Bloser offers a proven strategy for improving comprehension,
vocabulary, and fluency through content-area reading.
When you utilize the P.I.C.K. method, your child will not
just improve their reading skills, they will improve their vocabulary skills
with other tools.
Written by: Clare Booth of Zaner-Bloser
Written by: Clare Booth of Zaner-Bloser
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